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OpticsSubmitted by lmcshane on Thu, 11/15/2018 - 09:02.
Kevin Kelley, Ken Johnson, Anthony Brancatelli, Joe Cimperman, Frank Jackson ....Their behavior as elected officials all LOOKS bad. It doesn't help to have two journalists arguing with each other about presenting the news. There is a dust up on FB between Eric Brewer and Sam Allard:
Y'all remember the dude who writes for Cleveland Scene who fabricated quotes and wrote that I said them at a mayor's debate? That's his smiley face. Sam Allard. This cat is hilarious. We were at the Lee Harvard Community Services Center and he sat in the front row recording everything. Instead of writing what was on the recording he wrote whatever came to his mind. I forget the stupid shit he wrote that I said, but he called me "deranged" for using the words he made up. He's got "zero" crediblity. Dude is at it again. Last week I got tipped off that he was writing a big feature story about Mark Naymik writng about Ken Johnson and trying to create the illusion he's a criminal. So I reached out to both Naymik and Allard by email and I blind copied Naymik's bosses and co-workers. Chris Quinn, George Rodrigue and Elizabeth were the bosses and co-workers. All I wanted to know from both Naymik and Allard were the laws Johnson violated. Allard was accusing him of felony acts in tweets, texts and emails so I asked him to share with me in writing which exact federal or state laws he'd violated; and which exact duties of the office of a member of council he'd either exceeded or failed to perform. If you read my story on www.ejbnews.com you already know he didn't have any. He was just co-signing Naymik's shit. Read his words. "I *am* operating under the assumption that Johnson's actions represent misconduct of one kind or another. I don't know what species of mis- mal- or nonfeasance it may be, but as I said before, it "seems cut-and-dry" to myself and many residents of Ward 4. Mark's stories do not present "implied allegations of some unspecified misconduct." The misconduct is extremely specific, and supported by documentation. I'll leave it to others to determine how it's categorized." He didn't just stop there. Based only on Naymik's 13 columns and stories about one member of city council, Allard saw a plot and decided he was going to back up the work of a reporter for a completely different newspaper to expose a council conspiracy. This shit's actually pretty funny. Read it. He wrote that he wanted to ... "... get the temperature" of council in the aftermath of what I regard as serious revelations about Johnson's conduct in office, and to explore the next steps. By whom will he be investigated? If he is forced to step down -- as any council member convicted of a felony is, I believe -- what is the mechanism by which he would be replaced?" This dude is a lunatic. I have no other words to describe this conduct. My first job as a professional in this business was when W.O. Walker hired me in 1978 to work for the Call & Post. We saw this type of shit aimed at black councilmen coming from the Plain Dealer and Cleveland Press and exposed it. I remember when Prosecutor John T. Corrigan was prosecuting 11 councilmen and an administrator. Everybody was black but one white woman who served on council. Mary Rose Oakar had been originally caught up in the "carnival kickback" investigation when she served on council, but her victory in Congress created a job opportunity for Corrigan's daughter. W.O. exposed Corrigan's decision to pull her out of the investigation and offered the job as a reason. The investigation blew up in Corrigan's face because W.O. exposed his racist azz. Yes. I have been writing to intentionally make the Plain Dealer uncomfortable by exposing the lies and manipulation in its reporting and the hidden acts of its bosses and reporters. These mutha fuckas are corrupt and they're trying to create yet another scapegoat to push the city council reduction and Johnson is their target. They did it to Gerald Henley to push mayoral control of th schools. They did it to Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo to push cuonty reform. They did it Frank Gaul to drive $1.8 billion of the county's SAFE investment money back into the hands of private brokers who were living well off handling it. You folk have no idea not really knowing internal media workings how corrupt the Plain Dealer's publishers, editors and reporters are; and how they misuse that fucking newspaper to manipulate us for their own agendas. Yes. Brent Larkin has been a licensed attorney who worked out of John Climaco's office and that of Angelo Lonardo's at one time. Yes. Former publisher Alex Machaskee and the Voinovich's are Serbian; their families are from the same area of Serbia and are considered "cousins." Voinovich looked like a saint but there's virtually no reference to Mike White saving the city $8 million when he bidded out a garbage contract Voinovich was simply awarding to his boys as a no bid. There's a reason certain politicians leave office rich. Look at that thief Joe Cimperman. These aren't widely known facts but I've reviewed the public records that confirm them. Most people don't remember the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust investigation of the Plain Dealer and Cleveland Press for collusion when the Press I worked for folded in 1982. 13 articles, Mark? Not one on Joan Synenberg holding presiding over trials illegally? Not one on that thief Joe Cimperman? Not one on John O'Donnell being the worst campaign law violator in this county's history? Not one on Plain Dealer publisher Terrence Egger serving on the Cleveland Clinic board that entered an illegal contract with Gary Norton and deposited $8 million in a separate account in the city's name he created? 13 mutha fuckin' columns and articles on one "black" member of council. Naymik ain't covering news. He's creating a fury to lead a lynch mob. There is zero evidence of Johnson abusing his office and a more detailed explanation is on my www.ejbnews.com website. What this shit is evidence of is editorial abuse, selective and racist reporting and "malice." If I were Johnson I'd hire a 1st Amendment attorney because every act identified in Naymik's stories, and Allard's re-telling of them, can be evaluted independently and compared to statutes to learn if they are indeed violations of duty or felonious as Allard has claimed. That's the standard in Milkovich v. Lorain Morning Journal where opinions offered as fact can be evaluated and proved. There's no New York Times v. Sullivan protection for either publiciation in this matter. From his email to me Allard confirmed he had not confirmed any of the information he re-published under the belief he was exposing a public official as a criminal and trying to avoid a cover-up. Allard's only sources in his story are Naymik, Mike Polensek, Gail Sparks and Brian Cummins. He quotes from "no" public documents or records. I added the comments I shared with Allard after reading his story because I'm doing all I can to encourage him to get out of writing news. There is no possible way for him to be taken seriously as a credible source of information and it goes double for Naymik. I've watched his entire garbage-azzed career at the Plain Dealer from the beginning. Real reporting is at www.ejbnews.com
Eric Brewer and Sam Allard. I happen to like both of these guys. They both depend on advertisers and supporters to keep their media alive. Difference here at REALNEO? No advertisers. Mitch Paul pointed out the condundrum to Eric Brewer when it comes to Mark Naymik's reporting:
By referring to advance Ohio you are ignoring the elephant in the room.
I want Eric and Sam to join forces. I know that -THAT is probably not going to happen. It's too bad. We have Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley driving around town to events in a city car chauffered by a CPD police officer, who would better deployed to protect constituents and city employees, like D'Shane Wilcox, murdered while doing his city job. We have a kind and decent reporter, Nikki Delamotte, apparently murdered by her own family member. We need superhero reporters right now, not this bickering.
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Sam Allard - your coverage is RACIST...stop it..
https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/after-revelations-of-sustained-misuse-of-public-dollars-by-ken-johnson-whatll-happen-to-ward-4s-long-tenured-councilman/Content?oid=26142345
Eric is right. Sam - this coverage is racist. I know you and know you do put in public records requests. You have asked some tough questions, but if you want to go after corruption - focus on your own skin color. Brian Cummins ran CDC Old Brooklyn CDC, which ILLEGALLY used CDBG funds to acquire the commercial property 3119 Denison for Old Brooklyn CDC - he was under order by Merle Gordon, the councilwoman who was appointed by her predecessor Jim Rokakis. There are a number of shady deals he worked out using casino funds - a whole other racket in this town. Your coverage is very selective. If you want to uncover corruption at Cleveland City Council, please don't restrict your coverage to dark complexioned council folks. You know about Tony Brancatelli -and Kevin Kelley's assistant getting a house in Slavic Village for $4K - equal time, dude. You also know I am pursuing an Ohio Ethics complaint against Brancatelli for the same sh#t Cimperman pulled w/city contracts...
The more I see this coverage on Ken Johnson - the more I am convinced this has to do with real estate, flipping and east side properties. Why don't you get Ken to spill the beans on Cleveland Housing Network, Rokakis, Frangos and the Land bank? Why did CHN dump their properties on Buckeye CDC?? I have to think that this is really where this line of reporting points.
From EJB:
Sam Allard I actually hope you do comment because the more I think about what you and Mark have done the more pissed I get. I'm looking at the cover of Scene. You've got a picture of a black councilman sitting on top of a garbage truck making sure black folks trash gets picked up, and vacant lots cleaned, and you're portraying him as corrupt for using federal block grant money to help the poor people for which it was intended. I managed a block grant program ... twice. HUD's national agenda is to eliminate slum and blight.
That fucking thief Joe Cimperman stole block grant money that was supposed to go to poor people, and instead it went to his fucking girlfriend who became his wife; and there's no cover story on him nor a derogatory mention of his crimes. The use of the money he spent on his girlfriend also contradicts the federal government's purpose for which it was intended. It was for poor people. Not pussy.
So, to me, Sam you're a bigot. The same with Mark Naymik.
You don't think black folk deserve any gotdamned thing; and you smear black folk with bullshit you make up while cooperating and conspiring with known white felons.
So here's my advice. Don't write about any more black politicians, black issues, black anything. You and Mark need to go write about some other shit because every lie you tell I'm exposing. You guys are racists and I truly don't appreciate your "editorial" presence as an influence in this community.
Scene has never been a friend to the black community since Rich Kabat founded it. Charlie Bibb will tell you I encouraged the black east side store owners to get that shit out of our neighborhoods in the 1970's and 80's. I forget the record "one stop" Kabat was working with, but they were undercutting black store owner record prices and the store owners were letting them put the newspapers in the stores to attrack black customers. Kabat wouldn't even let black club owners advertise in the newspaper. No black employees. Probably still that way today.
I'm offended by your story, Sam, and I really don't know Ken Johnson. I know him but I don't know him. If he was doing something criminal I would have written about him by now. In 37 years this is the first time I've ever heard anything criminal claimed about him; and the shit's made up.
Your work will be watched. Sam. Don't tell any more lies. Scene could be sued out of existence.
Clevelanddotcom works for developers
Ken Johnson does not bode well for a real examination of the real estate schemes brewing in and around Shaker Square. The Shaker Development Corp run by DSCDO alum Nick Fedor:
https://www.cleveland.com/shaker-heights/index.ssf/2015/02/shaker_heights_development_cor.html
Readers should also take note of the HUGE contract steered to LANDstudio for the redevelopment of Shaker Square:
https://www.cleveland.com/expo/news/erry-2018/09/1010f3d89f7337/whats-next-for-aging-shaker-sq.html
With this in context - it now makes sense that the folks at Clevelanddotcom aka Newhouse Publishing can't have a goofball like Ken Johnson messing up the wholesale hand off of properties planned for the Shaker area. It is also worth noting that the City of Cleveland Chief of Regional Development Ed Rybka lives at Moreland Courts.
Quoting Brian Cummins
"I had to think hard and long about this," Cummins said, "but if I'm trying to garner funds from the mayor's administration, competing with 16 other wards, things like this matter. And that's just a non-debatable fact."
This is excerpted from Sam Allard's update on Cummins' career (see comments) at https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2018/11/07/former-cleveland-councilman-brian-cummins-has-accepted-peace-corps-job-in-tbilisi-georgia
I comment on the article and I am predictably replied to w/the standard "shut up bitch" response. I post with my real name, but the anonymous comment is followed by this anonymous comment:
And here it is in writing for all to see, admitting that only Democrat party affiliation can assure pay to play, kickbacks, and cronyism for city Council and Taxin Jacksons cronies. They should all be in jail! The same goes for Armond Budish and his outrageous property tax valuations for 2019. Did yours not go up by double and triple digits like everyone elses on the west side has? This thief should be in jail too before all these local politicians deal every last dollar they can from your wallet!
I agree with this comment - (maybe, it was even *gasp* penned by a woman!!- and no it is not me)
So, interesting follow-up, Sam Allard and Eric Brewer can agree on one thing. They don't want council reduction. I do. Brian Cummins' quote seems to sum up my rationale for reducing council. Brewer is attacking Tony George, a Cleveland business owner who lives in Westlake. I don't really know why Sam Allard feels that the current council is doing their job, especially after a lengthly article parroting Mark Naymik's "investigation" of Ward 4 Councilman Ken Johnson.
Some say that council reduction will only further exacerbate the pay-to-play schemes in Northeast Ohio. I say, can it get any worse?
The real shadow government is operating under guise of the "non-profit" community development corporations (the Land Bank is a CDC-the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation) and "non-profits" like Cleveland Housing Network. The federal monies that these organizations depend on - is drying up (thank you Donald Trump).
I have not heard any sane rationale for keeping the current council structure. I predict that Kevin Kelley will pull a Q-deal stall to prevent getting council reduction on the ballot. But, if he fails, and this makes the ballot - it will pass, and, we will all find it much easier to track the money.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CoolCleveland respects a woman's opinion- how nice! https://coolcleveland.com/2018/11/whether-reduced-kept-cleveland-city-council-large-members-c-ellen-connally/
FBI: Ken Johnson red herring - big fish DSCDO
Per our telephone discussion earlier today, I am forwarding your referral to White Collar Squad at the Cleveland FBI. Thanks for your information.
RJP
Robert J. Patton
Assistant United States Attorney
Northern District of Ohio
Chief, Violent Crimes Unit
United States Court House
801 West Superior Avenue, Suite 400
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
216-622-3856 (office)
216-701-0928 (cell)
216-522-2403 (fax)
Robert [dot] Patton2 [at] usdoj [dot] gov
Manage
Jeff Buster posting comment for Roldo - please read below
The comment below is from is from Roldo Bartimole:
I have worked with Mark Naymik in the past at the Free Times and known him to be an honest, non-racially biased reporter. I believe the same of Sam Allard at the Scene. A number of years ago I stopped sending my column pieces to RealNEO for just the reasons exhibited in this post and comments. It's time you cleaned up the vitriol and provided this community with coverage it so sorely needs.
Further, I know this Ken Johnson. He has always been a solid vote for all the worse decisions made at Council for decades.
He was also a George Forbes henchman.
Here's what I wrote in Jan. 2013 when Forbes beat up on Jeff Johnson because Jeff wouldn't bow to him over a small business that was set for his ward by blocked unnecessarily by Forbes:
"But for his efforts to honestly represent his ward, Johnson (Jeff) was brutally attacked by Forbes. Actually, Forbes had his fellow Council henchmen and women do the attacking for him.
And who was the most brutal. Of course, it was Kenny Johnson. He’s probably the member most deserving of a public investigation.
Kenny Johnson helped in the Forbes choreographed bashing session of Jeff by saying this:
“You have been a disgrace to me, my people, to this Council,” said Kenny to Jeff at the Forbes’s attack session. (You might remember that Forbes also tried to bash Jeff with a chair at a closed meeting.) Neither of Forbes attacks deterred Jeff."
Kenny even decried having the same last name as Jeff, calling it a disgrace to him.
The issue: Forbes was holding up legislation for a shopping store in Jeff’s ward and Jeff wouldn't back down. Forbes couldn't stand it.
Mark Naymik's hatchet job on Ken Johnson
WAS RACIST and meant to deflect from the planned distribution of valuable but DEPRECiATED Shaker Square real estate through the pumped up CDC - Cleveland Neighborhood Progress or Neighborhood Progress Inc - created by "genius" of Richard Shatten in 1988 to leverage "Community Development Corporations," which basically allow the OLIGARCHY here in NEO to control public monies and TAX Dollars allocated through HUD and other state, local, federal monies.
Not a surprse that Rokakis' buddy- ROLDO - would defend Mark Naymik. Roldo was also recruited to do hatchet jobs on real estate speculators who were not in the OFFICIAL club. Roldo will remember the hatchet job he did on a property owner in the Buckeye-Shaker Square area (the family owned a hardware store -ROLDO).
Since he reads this - please see CORRUPTION
CDCs are vital to the transfer but they are under scrutiny after the indictment of Ken Johnson - the Buckeye Shaker Square CDC sent up major red flags:
While much attention has been paid to the convictions of former Councilman Kenneth Johnson and his aide, Garnell Jamison; little attention has been paid to John Hopkins’ theft indictment and conviction as the former director of Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation. The Hopkins conviction should be eye opening to the “CDC” boards and directors; and they should consider “who’s next?” With their involvement in the $37 million Shaker Square drama both Menesse and Johnson may have drawn the federal investigation short straws. So will Bibb if he doesn’t stop tweeting about matters beyond his level of knowledge.
-Eric J. Brewer
https://ejbnews.com/30724/
The CITY of Cleveland land Bank properties are brokered to DEVELOPERS through Rokakis/now MATT Zone who is GETTING paid to do it by Cleveland City Council through Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
The Cuyahoga COUNTY Land Bank properties are brokered to DEVELOPERS through Frangos/Brancatelli through the Cuyahoga County Land Bank, which is funded through Cuyahoga County Council to be a doped up "Community Development Corporation" and to do demolitions throughout Cuyahoga County with MONIES they suck up through delinquent tax fees.
Properties end up in the land bank because of FORECLOSURE.
OF COURSE, Cuyahoga County only goes after the small potato families with small liens - sold through tax lien sales - a moneymaker cooked up by Rokakis and Frangos while they ran the Treasurer/Deputy Treasurer's office and Board of Revision.
First dibs on most city properties go to Joe Cimperman's buddy Bo Knez (the Slovenian connection).
Then there are preferred builders http://cuyahogalandbank.org/property_detail.php?order=status&f=&ppn=002-22-114 this vacant lot is listed as PENDING in their state-of-the-art database when it is actually a new construction "Age in Place" home being marketed (WITH TAX Abatement) for $350K!!
https://www.corcoran.com/homes-for-sale/1903-w-75th-street-cleveland-oh-44102/61216804/regionId=115
Is Bibb the next Gary Norton?
Art by Philip Burke :)
SEE:
https://web.archive.org/web/20220331171800/https://ejbnews.com/32834/
https://web.archive.org/web/20210515204023/http://ejbnews.com/26723/
The Ratners don't care if they have to sacrifice a puppet or two to get their hands on public monies. NPI real estate plays in North Collinwood and Shaker Square require vigilance. NPI is an entity created in late 80s to use public funds to help finesse properties for PRIVATE developers.
https://case.edu/ech/articles/n/neighborhood-progress-inc
Bibb has been warned.... From Eric J. Brewer:
Bibb’s pre-occupation with money reminds me of recalled ex-East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton and the $8 million East Cleveland city council never enacted a resolution to receive or appropriate from Cleveland Clinic to close Huron Hospital. He created a separate account and spent every dime of it without council’s knowledge or approval.
Council should keep watchful eyes on and investigate the number of non-profits and new corporations receiving bid and unbid contracts from the Bibb administration. Like every new job a contract is supposed to fulfill a statutory need.
What a shocker
Like everyone who voted for Joebama Xiden you deserve what's coming. Justin Bibb is a weak totally incompetent puppet just like the fake president but he doesn't need Depends, put in office by the smug white liberals as "proof" they're not racist because they voted for a black "man"from Garfield Heights. NOT Mount Pleasant as he claims. He's been set up?? Please. Don't cry for me Argentina. He's a liar. He and his gay friends will bury this once great city in scandal and debt. Green energy and bike paths for a city that has snow on the ground 8 months a year. Monopoly money from Uncle Fed for Justin and his boyfriends. And when it runs out and we have NOTHING to show for it Cleveland will be bankrupt, It will fall on the definitely NOT GAY Blaine Griffin to save us. Soon I'll have a tale to tell about the Ward 4 meeting at Zelma George. STAY TUNED.
But tell us how you really feel :)
Bibb got a push piece write up in American Prospect -
https://prospect.org/topics/apr-2022-issue/
I wish we did not have so many fakes and charlatans in this town - would definitely like to hear about the Zelma George community meeting.
Crime, Drugs, Good jobs and Blight removal
THESE are the issues that Clevelanders care about ESPECIALLY the 73% of them that DID NOT vote for our celebrity mayor. And the obscenely high prices for everything they can no longer afford. Like GAS to get to work.
But our fabulous little Mayor so thin and trim with his super cool specs and constantly jetting off to Washington DC for conferences with Petey Butplug, the WORST trans secretary in US history and the beneficiary of so very many puff pieces from the 'progressive" "media" celebrating him and his left wing goals, cares about "green" energy and shooting up reluctant black folks with the poison Vaxxxxine and lead removal. And "equity". Just wait for Gay Pride Week he'll undoubtedly be leading the parade. Although his motto was Cleveland Can't Wait as a CANDIDATE, now he needs "time". Because FRANKJACKSONFRANKJACKSONFRANKJACKSON is to blame. And his "success" is measured by his overpaid-by-the-taxpayers team of sycophants and do nothings that ride around with him in his big limousine and the slobbering media who celebrate totally irrelevant things like his speech at the Film Festival. Where is the summer jobs program for Cleveland Youth FOR EXAMPLE that the constantly maligned Frank Jackson provided. K&D Management LLC is the biggest and most ruthless property management firm in Cleveland with over 2200 evictions over the past 10 years. They are reknowned for doggedly pursuing impoverished waitresses and shop clerks they have evicted from even their low income buildings for that second cause "housing money" garnishing their tiny paychecks for YEARS after the evictions until they squeeze every last dime they're owed. So how come that VERY SAME K&D Management LLC benevolently dropped their 2nd cause "housing money" case against our new mayor for an eviction from his cosy 1 bedroom apartment located at 1600 Euclid Ave unit 2602, while he was non performing at one of his fake jobs. Did K&D get something else in exchange? How much DID he owe??? Asking for a friend.
I miss Frank Jackson. And I'm willing to bet AT LEAST 73% of Clevelanders do too!
36,880
the number of Cleveland residents who voted for Justine
Frank Jackson
Would have won if he ran again - he built loyalty by hiring friends and family. Old girlfriends like Merle Gordon. He had some decent people working for him - Michael Cox and Darnell Brown helped you to save our park.
Frank also did the bidding of the Ratners though - and that is what kept him in power. They groomed Justin Bibb. I can see that now. He is stupid to not listen to Eric J. Brewer or to even consult with him before taking office. I don't know if I have confidence in Blaine Griffin and the local media does not go after the intentionally bloated non-profit community here -slated to get MORE public monies under Bibb.
I voted for Bibb, because Kelley would have been much worse. I still have some hope that he won't go the route of Gary Norton.
$29,000 for ghetto rims for his new ride
Little tiny Justine raised in so-called "poverty" in GARFIELD HEIGHTS with a libarian mammy and a safety forces Daddy has got it going on. It took him a few tries to pass the bar exam but now he's the MAYOR of the poorest city in American. And what is Justine doing to help the 38,000 people who voted for him? Establishing his street cred of course. He's dipping into the Cleveland emergency fund to pay for anything he wants. For example he has hired dozens of useless people, all his NEW BFF's in fake jobs at 6 figure PART TIME salaries. What do they DO? Don't ask. Rome wasn't built a day according to Justine. But he doesn't mention the FALL of Rome, of course, but that's a topic for another day. A man in HIS position, the leader of the CLE can't wait movement, couldn't be riding around in an old Crown Victoria. He needed a big shiny BLACK SUV so his crew could ride around with him. 6 deep. Where are they going you might ask. That's classified information. But just this week Justine got him some brand new $29,000 RIMS. Paid for by the occupants of the POOREST CITY in America. The New World Order is so proud of their disciple. CRUSH THE WORKING MAN.